Growing up in The Bahamas, summers meant swimming in crystal-clear waters, exploring vibrant nearshore reefs. Winters brought cozy evenings bundled in the much-dreaded, but always loved, Christmas jumpers gifted from my grandparents.
Today, that idyllic picture has been lost.
Summer now brings scorching heat, with rising ocean waters too warm to sustain the vibrant nearshore reefs I explored as a child. Winters have vanished, replaced by a relentless 44°C sun. Christmas jumpers? A physical impossibility.
This is the reality of climate change, a hard truth felt most acutely by small island nations across the world, from the Caribbean to the Pacific, and including European overseas territories like Saint-Martin and Guadeloupe.
Now that the world has moved on from COP29 in Baku, I urge the European Union and its member states to listen to the voices of climate-vulnerable nations. The EU, as a significant global player and the largest donor to small island developing states (SIDS), plays a crucial role in our fight for survival. EU initiatives, such as the Global Gateway Strategy, which aims to mobilise €300 billion towards sustainable development and climate resilience amongst vulnerable countries, is a welcome start. But more needs to be done to ensure those on the frontlines have what they need to fight climate change.
SIDS contribute less than one percent of global emissions, yet we are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. We are also caught in a cycle of high debt and slow recovery from natural disasters, preventing us from building resilience. Global solutions rooted in climate justice must incorporate our insights, knowledge and lived experiences. Our contributions to drive meaningful change deserve more recognition and support.
Addressing climate change is not just a priority: it’s a matter of survival. Our communities are intrinsically linked to the environment. In The Bahamas, we’ve long recognised the importance of conservation, establishing the world’s first land and sea park in 1958. We understand that protecting our environment is essential for a thriving island economy.
The latest climate science paints a stark picture of a world failing to act on climate change. Findings from the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report reveal we’re far off track from reaching the Paris Agreement goals. Major polluters are failing to meet their commitments, jeopardising everyone’s future. This inaction isn’t just an environmental failure, it’s a human rights failure.
We are clinging to the lifeline of the Paris Agreement. But the rope is fraying, threatening to snap under the weight of inaction and empty promises.
It is a painful truth that my grandchildren will inherit a country unrecognisable from the tranquil islands of my childhood. Their summers will be filled with the fear of overwhelming heat, devastating floods, and the ever-present threat of hurricanes like Dorian, which devastated our islands in 2019, leaving thousands dead, tens of thousands homeless, and countless others forever scarred.
Our young people, resilient, empowered and digitally savvy, are acutely aware of this reality and are leading the fight for climate justice. They understand that this is not the time to be a victim of the climate crisis, but an opportunity to drive transformative change.
We are making progress. International law is increasingly affirming the urgency of climate action. The recent advisory opinion from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) recognising greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution was a watershed moment. It demonstrated the power of small states to drive global change. Oral hearings on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice positively took place in December with countries, including The Bahamas, also providing written answers to the court’s questions.
We are not looking for handouts. We demand a seat at the table. We must be active participants in both the development and the execution of climate change solutions. But there must be a better understanding of the unique challenges we face.
A mere half-metre rise in sea levels threatens to submerge 32% of our land and displace a quarter of our population. Building resilience comes at a high cost, as essential infrastructure must be replaced and replicated across 14 of our most populated islands
Outdated metrics like GDP and GNI paint a misleading picture of our vulnerability. Focusing solely on economic output, they ignore the disproportionate impact of climate change on small island nations. A single hurricane can wipe out a large percentage of our GDP, while the massive cost of building resilience strains our limited resources. This reliance on flawed economic metrics hinders our access to critical climate finance, like the Loss and Damage Fund. Even if accessible, the current pledges to the Fund, a paltry $800 million, are woefully inadequate. A more accurate vulnerability assessment is needed.
We need the EU to follow through on its commitments with concrete action. This means championing a significant increase in funding for the Loss and Damage Fund, one that reflects the true scale of the needs of climate-vulnerable nations. And it means finally abandoning outdated economic metrics that fail to capture the true cost of climate vulnerability for island nations.
We look forward to engaging in genuine dialogue with the EU, ensuring EU policies empower, rather than hinder, our journey towards economic self-sufficiency and climate resilience. We’re calling on the EU to help us break free from the vicious cycle of unsustainable debt and climate vulnerability, a cycle that threatens not just our future, but the future of our planet.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=6790eecd72ea4a7da8d4b30aa0b98466&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theparliamentmagazine.eu%2Fnews%2Farticle%2Foped-a-seat-at-the-table-why-europe-must-listen-to-island-nations-on-climate-action&c=15498251374649560156&mkt=de-de
Author :
Publish date : 2025-01-21 16:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
